2024 Finalists
The ACS Aged Care Adviser of the Year Awards highlight Australian financial advisers and financial services businesses that demonstrate excellence in the aged care advice field. With aged care advice becoming increasingly an important aspect of retirement advice, we are very proud to recognise the accomplishments of the 2024 award finalists, listed alphabetically within their respective category.
Read our 2024 Award announcement - Meet the 2024 Aged Care Adviser of the Year Award Winners.
2024 Finalists
Award Category - Aged Care Adviser of the Year
This award recognises an individual adviser who is deemed to have demonstrated outstanding professional commitment in providing aged care advice to older Australians and their families.
Belinda Veriton
RFS Advice
Belinda’s passion for aged care advice was borne close to home, watching her own mother develop dementia at 58 years of age. She understands that everyone’s aged care journey will look different, but the emotional turmoil is the common denominator.
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For the past decade Belinda has lived, worked and breathed financial planning, with the last 5 of those years as the Head of the Aged Care Advice team at RFS Advice.
Her own family background means she understands the emotional toll of placing a loved one into care and she is passionate about helping clients find the right care solution in a financially sustainable manner.
Brenda Will CFP®
Bruining Partners
Brenda finds great joy in helping elderly clients and learning about their lifetime of experiences. She is inspired to be able to assist clients through what can feel like a vulnerable time so that they feel well supported and empowered to make good decisions throughout life.
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Brenda is an accredited Aged Care Financial Adviser with over 20 years of financial advice experience. She chose to specialise in Aged Care advice as she recognises the value of embracing ageing with dignity and seeks to work with those who share this vision.
She regularly presents Aged Care seminars and has been featured in The West Australian and Australian Financial Review as an industry expert in Aged Care advice.
Craig Phillips
Phillips Wealth Partners
Craig takes inspiration in making a meaningful difference in the lives of clients and their families during challenging times. He is driven by the belief that aged care advice goes beyond financial strategies—it’s about offering clarity, comfort, and security.
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The winner of the 2023 ACS Aged Care Adviser of the Year award, and a finalist in the same award in 2022, Craig specialises in aged care and retirement living, offering holistic and personalised advice. His extensive experience encompasses investment portfolios, superannuation, social security, and ethical investing.
Leveraging his expertise and passion with sensible and practical advice with personalised ongoing support has driven the firm’s success. He has been recognised as a multiple finalist with the Financial Planning Association of Australia, in 2020/2021, and a finalist in the Association of Financial Advisers Great Advice Awards in 2021.
Dean Winfield CFP®
Planrite Advice Group
Dean believes that aged care advice is the most impactful service his firm can offer, often providing clarity and support to families facing emotional and physical exhaustion. He finds it deeply rewarding to make a tangible difference in people’s lives during such a critical time
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He is an experienced financial adviser with over two decades of expertise in the financial planning industry. Dean's approach is client-focused, combining his deep understanding of financial strategies with a dedication to helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals.
He holds several qualifications, and has been a Certified Financial Planner since 2008.
Joe Formica CFP®
Progressive Financial Solutions
Joe believes that aged care advice requires a high degree of involvement and is very rewarding. Advisers must have passion, empathy and patience as aged care is often a long and emotional process.
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Joe is a Certified Financial Planner who has been in the aged care industry since the 1990’s. He has a passion for educating families on aged care by simplifying complex rules into layman’s terms.
He thrives on developing relationships with families to assist their loved ones in transitioning into aged care seamlessly by removing the financial stress from their plate.
Katie Spence
Sage Care Advice
Katie is passionate about aged care advice and recognises that an aged care adviser requires more layers of compassion, patience and empathy than other aspects of Financial Planning. This is a passion she shares with her team.
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Katie has been with Sage Care Advice since its inception. Stepping up from the role of Client Care Advocate to Aged Care Adviser after completing her Diploma of Financial Planning in 2018, Katie has assisted many clients through the aged care maze and the obstacles families find themselves facing when a loved one enters care.
She gets a buzz out of assisting clients, particularly when she can change an often, bleak outlook into a positive one. Katie was recognised as a finalist in the 2023 Aged Care Adviser of the Year awards.
Robyn Clelland
Corso Private Wealth (Nanna’s Planners)
Robyn’s dedication to aged care advice is such that she feels she was born to do exactly this job. It combines her love of people, maths and problem-solving, with her previous nursing qualifications, to help her deliver favourable client outcomes.
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Since 2007, Robyn has been on a journey to understand the complexities of the aged care system in Australia, driven by a passion for supporting seniors. She has navigated product providers’ fee calculators for both ‘’high and low care residents” and spent countless hours engaging with Centrelink.
Her hands-on approach, includ visiting numerous aged care facilities, has deepened her knowledge, and she quickly became a trusted resource within the aged care community, providing essential information and support to those in need. she is proud that her commitment has made a meaningful impact on the lives of many senior Australians.
Zachary Dodds CFP®
Muirfield Financial Services
Zac feels that to expand into aged care advice successfully, advisers should fully commit to mastering all aspects, including aged care fees, Centrelink impacts, and asset management. Staying updated on changes in regulations helps to offer accurate, informed advice.
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Zac is inspired by the opportunity to help families navigate the complexities of the aged care system and secure the best financial outcomes for their needs.
Having attained a Master of Financial Planning and become an Accredited Aged Care Professional and a Certified Financial Planner, Zac’s specialisation in aged care advice allows him to help educate and provide advice to families, resulting in a smoother transition to care and providing financial planning confidence in the decision they need to make. He was a finalist in the 2022 and 2023 ACS Aged Care Adviser of the Year Awards.
Award Category - 2024 Aged Care Advice Program of the Year
This award recognises an Australian adviser or financial services business that has actively advocated the promotion of aged care advice amongst their client base, referral networks, peers or local community.
Alteris Financial Group
Alteris Financial Group has a dedicated team of specialist aged care financial advisers whose sole purpose is to help families and their loved one’s transition to permanent residential care with confidence. In 2023-24, they focused on the crucial role carers play in managing the financial circumstances of residents.
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To further promote the value of aged care advice, their team engaged with nearly 570 facilities and retirement villages, resulting in more than 4,600 touchpoints with aged care facility staff.
Alteris Financial Group developed and ran 8 webinars for aged care facilities, reaching over 360 staff across Australia. The combined efforts of their marketing strategy, seminars, activities, newsletters, and articles led to 786 queries from aged care homes and website visitors seeking support on their aged care journey.
They won the 2022 and 2023 Aged Care Advice Program of the Year Awards.
Muirfield Financial Services
Muirfield’s activities in the aged care advice space have established the firm as a leading name in Geelong’s aged care industry, driving both client referrals and continued business success. Year on year, revenue associated with aged care advice continues to grow, supporting their commitment to deepen their industry expertise.
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They recently held an innovative aged care expo designed to raise awareness of the importance of aged care advice and services and to provide the community with essential resources. This first expo was highly successful with over 250 people including community members, caregivers, and various aged care providers.
Their strategies also include regularly hosting educational seminars and speaking events, which not only educate the community but also enhance relationships with referral partners. These events give professionals and potential clients valuable insights into the complexities of aged care, helping them understand when and how to seek advice.
Phillips Wealth Partners
Canberra is known for its community-based social environment, which plays a crucial role in how Phillips Wealth Partners delivers aged care and retirement services. They have adopted the Multi-Disciplinary Team approach to ensure their clients benefit from a comprehensive range of expertise.
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Including professionals across various disciplines—such as financial advisors, legal experts, healthcare professionals, death doulas, estate agents and aged care specialists— this MDT collaborates closely to tailor solutions that address all aspects of a client's needs.
This collaboration ensures holistic support that aligns with our goal of enhancing the financial security and well-being of our clients and their families.
Phillips Wealth Partners were finalists in both 2022 and 2023 for the Aged Care Advice Program of the Year Award.
Story Wealth Management
The team at Story Wealth Management firmly believe that everyone deserves to age with dignity and grace which led to the launch of their Ageing with Grace Support Service to meet the growing demand for aged care advice within their pre-retiree and retiree clients and the broader community.
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Ageing with Grace was designed to promote a seamless transition during this critical life stage. It’s a service that not only supports the individual but also empowers families to make informed decisions, whether it be helping to maintainindependence at home longer or assisting them to transition smoothly into assisted living or aged care.
The marketing initiatives to support the new program, including presentations to partner and key stakeholder groups, have significantly raised awareness of aged care advice and strengthened their reputation as both specialist financial advisers and compassionate care advocates.
Previous Awards
For all the details on our previous finalists and winners, please click below.